Dark Side of the Moon
by Yutyl's REquiem
Summary: "The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes." He didn't realise this until much later, and by then it was too late...
1. Silent Beginning

**Dark Side of the Moon**

**- Silent Beginning -**

* * *

Warmth. That was the first thing that came to his mind as he sat perched on a large stone, his azure gaze fixated on the fading sun over the horizon. Despite the cool rush of wind and tidal wave gently lapping around his bare feet, there was just something so… soothing about the setting, the white sand and the clear beach basked in warm, orange glow transitioning into darker shades as twilight fell was a breath-taking, picturesque scene.

There was no one else around in the vicinity save for himself, a lone figure sitting on a beach rock, staring into the setting sun. Not many islanders ventured into the pier at such late hours, preferring to head back indoors back to their homes. He found that he preferred it this way. It was quiet here, he could think, ponder, on everything and nothing, relieving the memories from his past, or simply relaxing, basking in the sound of tide lightly brushing against soft sand, the cries of seagulls, the rustle of leaves in the wind.

It was so unlike him, some would have commented. His younger self was notorious for boundless energy, always on the move, never standing still in one place. Once a boy of action, unquenchable thirst for adventures to worlds far and unknown, the thrills of discovering new places, meeting new people, it was all exhilarating, addicting, even.

He was still a child back then, a dreamer, naive, innocent, easily excited over, well, everything, really. Magic, talking animals, intergalactic space travel, those weren't exactly something you saw every day. And he took it all with undisguised awe. To this day he could still recall his fascination the first time he was able to cast a spell, tapping into his latent magic abilities. It was just like the video games he enjoyed playing, taking on the mantle of a hero in a fantasy world, defeating evil villains and rescuing princesses with gleaming golden swords in their hands. Except it was all real.

There were ups and downs. While everything intrigued him like the video games, what the games didn't show was homesickness, anxiety, fear, loneliness. Just as there were meetings, there were also farewells. Good and evil, right and wrong, light and darkness were not as clear cut as it was in RPG's.

All in all, those were the times he would not forget, the memories of people he met, places he's been to, things he did, he would treasure them all, the good and the bad. It was what changed him, what helped him grow, to see what he could not see before, hear what he never heard before, and think in ways he never thought possible.

"There you were. I was wondering where you disappeared off to, Sora."

There was no need for him to turn to see who it was, he was well-attuned to her voice, the voice he's heard since childhood, "Hey, Kai. What's up?"

He shifted over to give the newcomer some room to sit, though due to the limited surface area of the rock it was a little difficult, resulting in close proximity between the two. Not that they minded.

"Nothing much, I was just looking for you, is all."

"Really? Why?" Sora inquired, curiosity sneaking into his voice.

"We didn't see you on the way back home, so we were just wondering." Kairi replied, nonchalantly brushing strands of her burgundy hair behind her ears. Such gesture did not go unnoticed to her male companion, who was sneaking looks from the corner of his eyes. He was somewhat glad that she decided to keep it long, to him she looked better with longer hair. Not that he would say that out loud.

"Oh, sorry. I was just… thinking, I guess."

"Really? About what?" she turned to look at him, her identical shades of azure eyes meeting his. Looking sheepish, he scratched his cheek as he replied, "Well, you know, stuff…?"

"Gee, that's helpful, give me some details! Like, thinking about what you want for dinner? School works? Or maybe… someone you like?"

"Wha-? Nonono, nothing like that!" he stuttered, somewhat flustered.

"Then what?" she pushed on.

"Well, I was just thinking about… you know, the past. Visiting other worlds, us getting separated and meeting again, coming back home, that sorta thing."

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

He silently watched her as she stared into the horizon, her soft pale skin contrasting rather nicely in the late evening light. Her gazes were fixed on the setting sun, and he briefly wondered what she was thinking about. He didn't have to wait long, as she spoke, albeit quietly, "Do you miss them?"

"Huh?"

"Do you miss the adventures, your friends on other worlds? Do you want to go back to those times, when we travelled around the worlds?"

"…Yeah, sometimes, I guess. It's been years since we came back home, and stayed here since then. I-I know I wanted to have some peace and quiet, live like a normal teenager, spending time with friends and worrying about studies. I'm glad that I'm here, not having to fight for my life and all, but…"

"But part of you wants to go back, huh?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, I guess a little."

She laughed quietly, "Aww, that's okay. I know you liked to travel around the worlds and experience new things, and you still do, right?"

"Haha, yeah."

"I don't know how we can do all that now, but I do hope that one day, you'll get the chance to do all that."

He grinned, "Thanks, Kai."

She flashed a grin, "You're welcome. Oh, and Sora? I'm glad that things are back to normal, us three getting together again, I mean."

"Yeah, me too…"

"Well, I'm heading back. Don't stay out for too long, 'kay?" She waved as she turned and walked away from the pier. Sora stood there, watching her retreating form until she was gone. Only then did he hop off the rock he used as a stool, and walked back to his home. She was right, in a way. Though he did miss those good times, in the end, he was home, and they were all together again. Him, Riku, and Kairi. In the end, that was all that mattered, right?

**oOoOo**

School. His distaste for such normality endured through the years of magic and combats, if anything it was one problem he couldn't solve with a swipe of his keyblade. Technically speaking, he could've easily trashed the whole darn building should he so desire, if the 'obstacle course' he went through in The World That Never Was were any indication. His moral sides always won over, though, and the pristine white structure, along with its inhabitants, students and teachers alike, would remain blissfully ignorant to their near demise they oh-so unknowingly avoided by narrow margins.

That was few weeks ago, and he soon found that transition from high-school to that of a college was nothing to laugh at, flatting on his own, away from home was merely part of the bigger problems that threw themselves at him from left and right. This revelation soon started to kick in, especially after he trashed the whole kitchen after 'cooking' gone wrong. The problem escalated to the point where he had to relocate and moved in with his brother in all but blood.

"Gee, look at all the mess, I still don't understand how you managed to survive on just instant ramen." Riku grumbled as he helped the hopeless brunette with his luggage, pointing out the box full of different brands of cup noodles.

"It's not my fault I suck at cooking, the kitchen hates me!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. And Santa goes around eating babies."

"Really?"

"No."

Whatever witty retort Sora had in mind was cut off short when a bell rang, the sound of door opening following shortly after, revealing none other than the third and the last of the unofficial 'Destiny Island Trio'. "Kairi? What's up?"

Said redhead huffed, "Why the surprise? Riku told me you were moving in after you destroyed the whole kitchen in your flat, so I came over to check up on you."

"I did _not _destroy the whole kitchen, Riku's just exaggerating!"

"Yeah? I heard they had to re-build the kitchen from scratch, the damage done was too extensive for any repairs. What do you say to that?" Riku joined in the conversation, looking somewhat annoyed. "Oh, hey, Kai. Didn't know you were coming to visit."

"Gee, look at you! I swear, you seem to grow every time I see you! And why the surprise? I come around often enough to be a housemate, aren't I?"

"Oh, right. And besides, I'm not just tall, you two are just short, that's all."

"Hey!" His two shorter friends shouted indignantly, "We're not short!"

"Well, you are, shorties. That's just how life is. Accept it and move on." Riku smirked teasingly. His playful remarks weren't baseless, since he was the tallest of the trio, easily standing a head taller than Sora, and Kairi was practically a dwarf when she stood next to the silver-haired youth.

"That's 'cause you're a freakin' tree, you moron." Sora grumbled under his breath, mock-scowl deepening on his face as triumphant grin on his taller friend widened with mirth. Clearly he was enjoying all this. Bastard.

The rest of the day was spent in flurry of movements, organising and rearranging the small flat to accommodate the new tenant, all the while bickering about unimportant things. They settled for simple dish of curry as dinner, Riku standing in as their residential chef, and for the rest of the evening the trio crashed into a soft couch on the lounge, watching re-runs of weekend movies while licking ice creams.

"Gee, that was long." Sora commented, lazily flipping on the off switch and haphazardly tossing the device to god knows where. When no one answered he turned to his friends, only to find them fast asleep, Riku snoring with his foot sticking out, his head on his arms as a makeshift pillow, while Kairi unconsciously ended up leaning her head on Sora's shoulder, quietly dozing off.

Brushing the lock of her cranberry tresses behind her ear, he whispered, "Good night, Kairi." It wasn't long before he too, fell asleep.

**oOoOo**

Meanwhile, on the world far beyond, a king paced back and forth in his study, anxiety and concern etched on his weary features. If one were to listen closely, he would be heard mumbling incoherently, occasionally looking up, startled, before lowering his head and resuming with his unusual behaviour.

"What should I do…" he mumbled, absentmindedly rubbing his ears. He knew that there was something wrong, he just knew, even if Yen Sid and Merlin told him otherwise. After all, he knew his own body better than anyone, his health included.

It wasn't all that apparent, there was nothing that looked out of the ordinary, he was still the king and the warrior they all knew, respected and adored. He was still himself, that much he knew.

But still…

"_Your concerns are hardly necessary, old friend. Perhaps you're over-exerting yourself, take care of yourself, King Mickey." _

"_Yen Sid told you that? Well, I must assent to his diagnosis, you seem fine save for exhaustion. You're working too hard, even after all these years. Taking a break every now and then won't mean the end of your kingdom, you know!"_

So they said. And he didn't doubt them, he trusted the two wizards with his life. Even so, he couldn't help but wonder…

"Mickey? Are you in there?"

King Mickey broke out of his stupor and strode towards the door, revealing none other than his queen. The look of concern on her face told him much of what she came to see him for.

"Minnie? It's late, shouldn't you be asleep?"

"You didn't turn up, so I came to check up on you."

"Oh…"

"Is something the matter? You seem… worried about something."

The king sighed, "It's nothing, really. Just few minor problems giving me headaches, it'll settle down after I get some rest."

The queen wrapped her arms around his back, "Your duties are important, but you need to look after yourself too. Come, let's retire for tonight. You need to rest."

Mickey nodded, and the two closed the door behind them. Neither of the couple noticed stirring and flickering of the shadow behind them. And neither realised the imminent danger until it was too late.

* * *

**Hi, this is my first attempt at writing a KH fic, so if you see any mistakes, feel free to point them out! The same goes for any errors in the writing itself!**

**Other than that, thanks for reading!**


	2. Silent Fall

**Dark Side of the Moon**

**- Silent Fall -**

* * *

Orbita cafeteria was busy as usual, the first of the customers slowly trickling in around early morning, nursing small mugs of coffee as sleep-deprived students struggled to stay awake, to no avail. The crowd slowly expanded as lunch hours rolled in, sea of weary students bustling out of the lecture theatres and claiming seats and tables for their own small groups, simply relaxing and picking out their lunch menus, purchasing whatever they could afford with their limited allowances. .

'The Trio' – dubbed by their friends due to their extremely close relationship – were at their usual table next to the pane of glass overlooking the river, each with their own plates filled with chows of their own preferences, complemented with caffeinated beverages.

"God, that was soooo boring. I swear, the lecturer sounded so depressing, I almost thought he was going to hang himself at some point." The sole female companion in the company of three complained, eliciting small laughter from the remaining two males.

"That's a bit harsh, Kairi. At least he was up there and doing his stuff, you could've at least paid some attention to what he was saying."

"Says the guy who slept through the whole hour."

The silver-haired male quipped in, "Yeah Sora, your snores were quite loud, I bet everyone heard that. Hey, maybe that's why the lecturer sounded so depressed!"

"Shut up…" Sora mumbled, "Not my fault it was boring as hell. Heck, he was practically reading off the slides! What's the point then?"

"He probably didn't even know what he was saying-"

"Understandable, it _is _chemistry we're talking about here."

"Speaking of chemistry, wanna hear some chemistry jokes?"

"Oh god, no, please, just no." Kairi groaned, Sora following suit. Riku simply laughed, clearly enjoying this. "Aw, c'mon, why 'Na't?"

"Riku?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Yeah Riku, cut them some slack." A voice called out, and the trio turned to see Tidus, his bag hanging off his shoulders haphazardly as he waded his way through to their tables. Nodding in thanks as Riku pulled a chair for him, Sora asked, "Hey Tidus, where're the others?"

Just like how the ex-Keyblade wielders formed a trio of their own, the remaining three of their Destiny Island group too, formed a company of their own. This wasn't to say that the six weren't close, far from it. It was just that they weren't as tight-knit as they would with one another. Just like how Sora was usually seen with Riku and Kairi, Wakka and Selphie too, would be somewhere around Tidus.

Said teen shrugged, "I don't know, Selphie's probably in the library, and Wakka's… somewhere."

"You're such a nice guy, you know that?"

"I know I am."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Riku moved on to different topic, "So what's up?"

"Oh yeah! I was going to tell you guys that we're holding a party, Selphie's birthday is coming up this weekend, and she wanted to ask you guys if you wanted to come."

"Really? Wow, that's nice! We need to get her something! Ooh, need to go for some shopping too!"

"It's nice to see you being so enthusiastic, Kairi, but you might want to leave shopping details with the birthday girl, not us guys."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She harrumphed, hands on her hip as she mock-glared at Sora, who feigned an innocent tone, "Noooothing. Oh, would you look at the time, I'm going to be late for my lab! I'll see you guys around! Bye!"

"Sora! I'm not done with you yet! Get back here!" Kairi yelled as the brunette made his hasty exit, chasing after him. Riku and Tidus could only shake their heads at how incredibly thick their two friends could be sometimes.

**oOoOo**

It was one tired Sora who haphazardly tossed his bag on the ground, practically throwing himself to the couch upon his entrance. Riku took one look at his friend, before shrugging and resuming back to his cooking. "Rough day?" he asked over his shoulder, getting a tired muted groan in response.

"You have no idea…"

"I do, I had that lab yesterday, remember?"

"Oh yeah…"

The oaken door slid open, and Kairi walked in, casually seating herself on the sofa, which conveniently turned out to be Sora's back. Ignoring his tired grunt, she asked, "Smells nice, what's for dinner today?"

Riku turned to face her, waving a carrot like a baton, "Curry, and you're getting too comfortable, don't you think?"

"What? I do not! By the way, I'm taking a shower, I'm soaked with sweat!" Merrily whistling a tune she disappeared into the bathroom, only to re-emerge to ask for the whereabouts of her towel.

"The second drawer, on the left." Sora pointed out, still lying face down on the sofa.

"Ah, thanks!"

Riku tutted, "Honestly, that girl. She'll be the death of us one day, I swear…"

**oOoOo**

Once again, Riku's proficiency as the residential cook was hailed by his two patrons. He took pride in their compliments, until Sora jokingly pointed out how Riku was going to make a fine bride one day, causing Kairi to join in, adding her two cents' worth into the teasing. Suffice to say, Riku was not pleased.

After spending half an hour on their studies, they decided to call it quits, complaining about how insanely difficult the whole topic of organic chemistry was.

"This is insane, how the hell do they expect us to know all this?!"

"I still think the lecturer was thinking of hanging himself later…"

"And this is relevant to the topic HOW?"

"Hey Riku, you still have some of that curry left? I'm kinda hungry…"

"Wait, this isn't how you draw resonance structures! Don't forget the properties of aromaticity!"

"Hey! Some more curry?"

"Oh now you botched it up! Nice going, moron!"

"I don't want to hear that from you, idiot!"

"Guys! Curry!"

Suffice to say, the trio made very little progress regarding their course works. In the end, after brief bickering, they settled down for their usual routine of ice cream and movies. Sora, as usual, was the last to doze off, and so threw a blanket on the three of them before proceeding to get some shut-eye himself. It has been a long day for the brunette. Basking in the peaceful silence, he too, fell asleep.

**oOoOo**

Donald Duck paced nervously back and forth with a troubled look on his face. And rightfully so, too. He was the court magician, amongst the most trusted servants of King Mickey. For years, under the tutelage of powerful wizards like Merlin he has learned to harness the power of the arcane arts, and with it, served the King for years. For brighter future, where all may live in peace. It was a task he took great pride in, and carried out with burning zeal.

But something tugged at the corner of his mind. He couldn't help but notice how… _different_ the King seemed nowadays. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but one did not become a court magician without having a keen eye for details, whether it was through his own or through magic-enhanced vision. Like how unnaturally quiet Mickey seemed from time to time, locking himself in the study, and few times he swore he saw something flashing in the King's eyes, if only for a split second, before returning back to their original hue.

It wasn't just the King, either. The Queen herself also exhibited strange behaviours as of late, however subtle they may seemed. Just what was going on here?

"Donald?"

There stood Goofy on the doorway, fully clad in his plate armour, the signet of the Captain pinned on his chest. He too, looked rather unsettled, worried about the wellbeing of the King and Queen he served.

"Goofy? What is it?"

"Eh, the King said he wanted to see us. Better go, don't you think?"

Silently nodding, the magician followed, his mind swirling with thoughts. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, or maybe he was just too tired. Running a kingdom was no easy feat, after all. Perhaps it was just the stress getting to him; maybe it was just nothing to be worried about. At least, he prayed that there was nothing wrong.

They stood in front of the door, waiting for the King's approval for entrance. The door swung open seemingly on its own, strangely enough. Shrugging it off, the magician and the knight strode across the wide hall, towards the King who sat on the throne.

The Royal Magician couldn't help but shiver, for reasons unknown. The wide spacious hall of the throne seemed unusually cold today, and it felt somewhat… eerie. It was dark inside, and the torch they carried cast long shadows over the interior, dancing to the flickering of the flame, slithering. It was hard to make out the small King sitting on his throne, they could only see his silhouette. Clearing his throat, he kneeled on one knee, Goofy mirroring the gesture on his right. "You called, your highness?"

"Yes, I have summoned you for a reason," with a click of his fingers a pedestal materialised in front of them, and placed on top was a small pile of documents. "That, is a report obtained from the fringe worlds at the edge of this universe. There has been some concerning rumours circulating about, people going missing and disappearing without traces, and the like."

Donald flinched a little at the King's somewhat raspy voice, as opposed to his usual high-pitched squeaks. It was almost as if he was sick. "Your majesty…?" he asked tentatively, concern etched on his face.

"There's more. There has been reported sightings of what they described as 'creatures with skin as black as night, with glowing yellow eyes'. We can only deduce that the heartless have once again re-emerged, and it is a strong possibility that their presences are correlated with the cases of missing individuals. I have already sent out a scouting force to investigate further into the situation. In the meantime, I want the two of you to be prepared for anything."

"Uh… your majesty?"

"Send out letters to other worlds, notify the worlds and their respective heroes of what is happening here. I also want you to write a summon to bring the Keyblade wielders here, their skills will prove to be the light in these dark times."

That was it, Donald and Goofy now knew that something was definitely wrong with the King. From the eerie atmosphere, the tone, the mannerism, it was almost as if it was different person. "Your highness!"

"What is it?" The King asked coolly.

"What's happening to you, my king? You sound so different, is something the matter?"

"Why do you wish to know?"

"Your majesty, you're acting strange as of late. Locking yourself in your bedchamber for hours, your demeanour, the way you speak, too! It's almost like you've become a different person… Please, is something wrong? Are you ill?"

"I fail to see why any of this concerns you." Was the cold reply.

"We're only concerned for your wellbeing! You, and Queen Minnie, too! Daisy was worried that Queen Minnie was also acting somewhat strange-"

"We're fine, thank you for your concern. Now, leave me be. You have your orders, carry them out."

Words died in his lips at the King's blatant dismissal. King Mickey was never the one to rudely wave off his subjects, least of all the very ones he spent years together with. King Mickey they knew loved each and every one of his subjects in the castle, and beyond. This… cold stranger with his clipped tone and blatant indifference was _not _the King they knew and respected.

Donald so desperately wanted to probe further into the issue, but a firm hand on his shoulder pulled him back. No, was what Goofy seemed to say through the gesture. We wait for the opportune moment, until then we wait and see.

With a stiff nod he complied, and together the two exited the throne hall, though not before looking back at the King once more. The hall was entirely enveloped in darkness. He couldn't see anything.

It was a silent trip for the two as they traversed through the corridors, making their way back to their own chambers. Donald expected his lover to be asleep, though he wasn't expecting a tearful countess throwing herself at him the moment he walked into the room. "D-Daisy?"

"Oh Donald! Am I so glad to see you!"

"Daisy? What's wrong?"

"I-It's Queen Minnie, she-she was acting so strange!"

With a sinking feeling he asked quietly, "How strange?"

"She was being unusually cold today, even worse than before! She ignored me all day! She was acting so different! I don't understand, what's going on?"

A question he wanted to be answered as well. "It's not just the Queen, King Mickey was also acting rather strange. Something is wrong, definitely wrong."

"Oh Donald, what are we to do now?"

He sighed, "I don't know, I don't know…" He knew that just the three of them alone weren't enough to get to the bottom of the mystery. Now that he knew that there was something definitely wrong with the royal couple, he needed to send for help, his former mentor, possibly Leon. And Sora, definitely Sora. The King was right about one thing, in these dark times the Keyblade wielders were the light that shone hope within them all. It seemed that Sora was needed once again, the return of a hero indeed.

**oOoOo**

Goofy was lying on his bed, though sleep was far from his mind. The events played themselves in his mind over and over, disturbing him greatly. He didn't know what had befallen on the royalties, but whatever it was – whether it was ailment or curse – he knew he would not rest until he got to the bottom of it, and restore them back to the way they were.

He sat up when there was a light knocking on the door. Lighting a small lamp, he slowly approached the door, "Hello?" he called out tentatively, his hand merely inches away from the brass door knob.

Attaining the rank of Captain of the Royal Knights was no easy feat. Underneath the seemingly dim appearance lied a battle-hardened warrior, well attuned to the ways of combat, using his wits to improvise on battle fields as needed. It was this that allowed him to quickly sidestep as sharp tendrils of darkness punched through the wood, narrowly missing him by inches.

His shield appeared in a flash, strapped to his arm and poised, ready to strike. "Who's there!" He called out, the Captain in him on full alert. He received no verbal response, the tendrils morphing into a giant ball that obliterated the door.

"Who…?"

He was thrown off his feet when something collided into his shield, the impact throwing him back, as well as jarring his hand. Muttering back a curse he stood back up, shield raised, bracing himself for next attacks. He ripped open the curtain, allowing moonlight to flow into the room, providing some illumination for his vision. He could vaguely make out the shadowy form of his assailant, as well as the darkness that enveloped the assailant. It was almost as if it was alive, morphing, coiling, shivering.

Now that he could see better, he decided to initiate the offence first this time, throwing himself into the attacker with his shield. The shadowy attacker easily dodged out of the way, and with darkness hardening into a sword dashed at the shielded knight. Goofy ducked, and took a swipe, the sharpened edge of the metal frame cutting into his opponent. Startled, the silhouette jumped back, viscous black fluid oozing out of the injury. Taking this moment into opportunity he threw the shield like a boomerang, the force knocking it back. Not wanting to give his opponent a breathing room he rushed forward, uppercutting it with his gauntlet-clad fist, and finishing with a downward hammer strike with his shield.

Goofy panted, adrenaline coursing through his body from the fight. Grabbing a fistful of fire bead he lit it, casting red glow over the room. The figure slowly rose, and Goofy was momentarily stunned when the identity of the mysterious attacker came into light.

"Your majesty?"

The King disappeared, flashing right in front of the knight, his dark red eyes locked on to his loyal subject's. Without a word he plunged his sword into Goofy's abdomen, the sudden rupture of tissue spraying crimson over them both. Blood trickled down his lips, and with haggard pants he breathed out, "W-why…?"

The King pulled the sword out, the sudden action sending waves of pain through the dying knight. His screams were cut off with his head, the headless torso collapsing beneath its feet, blood pooling on the carpet.

Neither Donald nor Daisy would ever learn of their friend's death, or the identity of his killer, as death slithered in to claim their lives as well, in the form of Queen Minnie who stood over them, a wicked knife pulsating with sick green hue clutched in her hand, positioned just above the unsuspecting couples' beating hearts.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


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